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Screwworm outbreak hits vacant Texas congressional district, as leading candidates scramble to assist
Gov. Greg Abbott has not yet scheduled a special election for the 23rd Congressional District, which was previously represented by disgraced ex-Rep. Tony Gonzales.
New pro-Talarico super PAC wants to give GOP voters “permission to defect”
Moment of Truth PAC, launched by a bipartisan group of campaign operatives, is aiming to spend a staggering $62 million. Much of it would be used to spotlight Ken Paxton’s controversies.
TribCast: How big of a threat is screwworm?
In this week’s episode, the TribCast team talks to Phillip Kaufman, head of Texas A&M’s entomology department, and Josh Winegarner from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association about the arrival of screwworm in Texas.
Government watchdog says Texas detention center wasted up to $11.5 million before detainees arrived
A U.S. General Accounting Office report found a host of problems at El Paso’s Camp East Montana, including a contractor losing a loaded gun on the property after it opened.
Indian group targeted by Trump scored policy wins after backing Texas firm tied to president’s son
New details of the $100 million investment into America First Refining by one of the richest men in Asia reveal the role Donald Trump Jr. has played.
East Texas county judge urges state lawmakers to help locals combat data center proliferation
A proposed data center in Angelina County will occupy more than 1,000 acres outside of Lufkin. The county judge says there’s nothing he can do to stop it.
Gaming-world veteran who ripped ‘woke’ culture scores Trump-backed battleground primary win
Trump-endorsed candidate Marty O’Donnell advanced in a crowded GOP primary race to face off against Democratic incumbent Rep. Susie Lee in Nevada’s 3rd congressional district. O’Donnell is best known as the composer for the popular “Halo” and “Destiny” video game franchises and has run his campaign on putting “families first,” as well as promoting small businesses and community safety. The district is among Nevada’s most fiercely contested battlegrounds, with its suburban electorate often deciding close races. President Donald Trump carried the district in 2016 and again in 2024, while former President Joe Biden flipped it in 2020. O’Donnell entered the primary with major GOP backing after securing endorsements from Trump and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo. ‘HALO’ COMPOSER RUNNING FOR CONGRESS DRAWS PARALLELS TO DECLINE OF WOKENESS IN GAMING TO TRUMP’S RE-ELECTION “Susie Lee wants Open Borders, Men playing in Women’s Sports, Transgender for Everyone, Defund the Police, and wants to take away your Second Amendment, meaning, your guns. Sadly, she voted against the Biggest Tax Cut in History (including NO TAX ON TIPS!), and fought ferociously to knock out Rural Healthcare, a big factor in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District,” wrote Trump in his endorsement on Truth Social in April. “In contrast, Marty O’Donnell is a World-Class Composer and Entrepreneur who knows the America First Policies required to Create GREAT Jobs, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote NO TAX ON TIPS, Advance MADE IN THE U.S.A., and Champion our Nation’s Golden Age. As your next Congressman, Marty will fight tirelessly to Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Strengthen our Brave Military/Veterans, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment,” said Trump. The video game composer has compared the battles against “woke” ideology in both video games and politics during his run for Congress. “I believe the enthusiasm for the re-release of the original ‘Halo’ is in large part due to the wokification of the gaming industry,” he wrote in 2025 of “woke” ideology in gaming. “After years of gamers fighting the infiltration of DEI in the industry, we are finally winning.” “I saw firsthand the beginning of DEI in the industry,” he continued, describing how the industry has faced backlash over games that alienated players with identity politics. “How did gamers react to having things forced on them by non-gamers developing these characters in the studio? They revolted.” The “Halo” games, centered on humanity’s war against alien invaders, have sold tens of millions of copies, becoming one of the most recognizable and enduring video game franchises since 2001. DEM SENATOR REVEALS HOW SHE NARROWLY WON KEY STATE THAT TRUMP FLIPPED: ‘BE PRACTICAL TO FIND RESULTS’ The large suburban electorate voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election even as Lee narrowly won the congressional race — a seat she has held since 2019. Lee, an education advocate, has strongly opposed Trump’s call to eliminate the Department of Education, advocating instead for increased federal funding for public schools, special education and after-school programs. The self-proclaimed moderate Lee also campaigned on the cost of living and healthcare, pushing to lower costs for families. DEM TIED TO CARTEL OPERATIVE SAYS ‘WHITE NATIONALISTS’ JOINING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT TO ‘HUNT DOWN PEOPLE’ O’Donnell supports strict border control, a finished border wall and targeting human and drug trafficking. Lee has occasionally supported tougher border-security measures but is against Trump’s efforts to restrict birthright citizenship and has criticized some aspects of his immigration policies.
Top GOP target Dina Titus fends off House primary challengers
U.S. Rep. Dina Titus won the Democratic primary in Nevada’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating challengers Gabriel Cornejo, Joy Hoover and Luis Paniagua to secure her party’s nomination for an eighth term in Congress. Titus, who has represented the Las Vegas-area district since 2013, entered the race as the clear frontrunner, backed by labor unions and Democratic organizations while also holding significant advantages in fundraising. The veteran lawmaker faced a challenge from candidates who argued Democrats should embrace a new generation of leadership, a criticism Titus largely dismissed during the campaign. Titus pointed to her experience in Congress and her record on issues important to Southern Nevada voters, including tourism, transportation and veterans affairs, helping her win the Democratic primary. MINIVAN MOM PUTS DEM INCUMBENT ON NOTICE IN TOP GOP TARGET DISTRICT: ‘SHE HAS DONE NOTHING FOR US’ First elected to Congress in 2008 from Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, Titus returned to the House in 2012 after redistricting reshaped Nevada’s congressional map. Before serving in Congress, she spent two decades in the Nevada Senate and worked as a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her primary opponents struggled to gain significant traction in a race largely overshadowed by higher-profile statewide contests. Hoover, a businesswoman and nonprofit founder, Cornejo and Paniagua all sought to present themselves as alternatives to the longtime incumbent but ultimately failed to beat Titus. NEW GUARD OF GOP WOMEN SAYS DEMOCRATS CAN’T ‘PIGEONHOLE’ FEMALE VOTERS AS THEY TARGET KEY HOUSE RACES The focus now turns to the general election, where Titus is expected to face the Republican nominee in a district that has become more competitive in recent years following redistricting. Still, the Cook Political Report rates Nevada’s 1st Congressional District as “Likely Democrat,” reflecting both the district’s Democratic lean and Titus’ incumbency advantage. Nevada’s 1st District includes much of eastern Las Vegas, Henderson, Paradise and surrounding communities in Clark County. According to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, the district carries a D+2 rating. Republicans have not held the seat since former Rep. John Ensign left Congress in 1999.
Nevada’s top cop wins Dem primary, takes on Gov Lombardo
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford defeated Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, advancing to a showdown with Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in one of the nation’s most competitive governor’s races. Ford entered the race as the Democratic frontrunner in a field that included Hill, Sunshine Arterburn, Miqehl Bayfield, Emile Bouari and James Cooper. Before becoming Nevada’s first Black attorney general, he served in the Nevada Legislature, where he led the chamber as majority leader. REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR TARGETED BY DEMOCRATS LAUNCHES RE-ELECTION BID IN KEY BATTLEGROUND Housing affordability emerged as a key issue in Ford’s campaign, with Ford pledging to lower costs and expand access to housing, according to his campaign website. Ford’s primary victory comes as the two-term attorney general faces growing criticism over his extensive travel record. DEM SENATOR REVEALS HOW SHE NARROWLY WON KEY STATE THAT TRUMP FLIPPED: ‘BE PRACTICAL TO FIND RESULTS’ State records reviewed by Fox News Digital in March found Ford accumulated more than $410,000 in travel costs since taking office in 2019, while local outlets have reported he spent more than 100 days outside Nevada during his tenure. A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office defended the travel, saying the trips were tied to Ford’s official duties and campaign activities, including coordinating with law enforcement agencies across the country, and were permitted under Nevada law. REPUBLICANS CUT INTO DEM VOTER REGISTRATION ADVANTAGE IN CRUCIAL SWING STATE AS EARLY VOTE WRAPS UP Ford is also under investigation by the Nevada Commission on Ethics over whether he solicited improper gifts or used his office to improperly benefit himself, according to documents recovered by local outlets. Nevada’s gubernatorial race is expected to be one of the most closely watched contests of the midterm elections as Democrats attempt to reclaim control of the governor’s office in the Silver State. Lombardo, who defeated Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak in 2022, is seeking a second term and will face the Democratic nominee in November. Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.